Compositing help with ice hockey picture - how to make it more believable?

[crazyfoo]

Hey everyone,

I took some photos of my kids playing hockey on a green screen, and I am trying to create a composite picture with a digital background I purchased. I think it looks decent, but I am trying to find a way to make the hockey players look a little more like they belong in the scene. I am not a professional photographer, nor am I a Photoshop expert, its just something I enjoy doing when I have free time.

Any ideas on what I can try? So far I have added some shadows, and adjusted the vibrance since the colors were just a little too bright. Not really sure what else to try, thanks for any advice!

 

[tirediron]

Honestly? I'd start with flat "ice"!

 

[Designer]

.. I am trying to find a way to make the hockey players look a little more like they belong in the scene.

I really like your folded ice, and I think this illustration is finished, so why do you want to make it look as if the boys are on real ice, when they are on folded ice? Leave it.

 

[yamaha pat]

I like that the folded ice almost looks like a skate park. Perfect place for ice skates. Wait someone back east should do that.

 

[vintagesnaps]

I've done hockey, minor pro (I mean as a photographer that is!). The surface and the background don't seem to go together. The background to me is more problematic, especially if you want to have them on a wild looking ice surface! which I suppose could be fun but somehow you need to find a background that works better.

This background to me is shot from an odd vantage point, looking up too much toward the ceiling which is all lights. Not sure what might work with that kooky ice but maybe a more simple background, clean and uncluttered. Or put them on the kind of ice that, you know, hockey players actually skate on! lol and then figure out a rink background that would work.

Try for something that's proportioned to them so it doesn't look 'off'. Maybe they'd think this was fun so if you keep it the challenge might be to find a background that would work.

 

[nerwin]

I never heard of folded ice, I tried looking it up and all I got was ice cream! Haha. I'm not into hockey nor ice skating but if someone could fill me in on this interesting folded ice, would be awesome! I'd love to know.